


Dancing Monkeys

by LadyOfSnakes



Series: Shared Life Experiences [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-01
Updated: 2015-10-01
Packaged: 2018-04-24 08:52:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4913089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyOfSnakes/pseuds/LadyOfSnakes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before Captain America heads to Europe with the USO, the tour has a stop in Napoleon Solo's hometown. Young Napoleon wants a chance to meet his idol.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dancing Monkeys

“What are you doing, Leon?” Napoleon’s father asked as the boy sat on the floor of their kitchen, peeling labels off of a stack of empty tin cans.

“I walked around the whole town today, collecting scrap metal. I’m gonna take it to the show tonight. They said the kid who brings in the most metal get to meet Captain America and get his autograph and get his picture in the paper.” Napoleon kept up his task, though his whole body hurt by now. His fingers were raw from scrubbing out all the food tins, and his feet were sore from walking around town in shoes he’d already outgrown. Maybe next month he’d ask his father to buy a new pair, but they were only just getting back on their feet after the depression, and it wasn’t fair to anyone that Napoleon had sprouted four inches this year already.

“You’re going to need to take two trips, if you’re bringing the boxes out on the porch too. Do you want me to drive you there?” Mr. Solo looked out the window where there were four more crates of tins, more than could fit in the wagon Napoleon used to play with when he was little. 

Napoleon’s eyes lit up, “Could you, Pop? It would help a whole lot.”

“Of course I will, son.” He reached down and ruffled the mess of curls on his son’s head. “How’d you collect so much scrap, anyway? Everyone’s been donating since the war started.”

“Well....” The boy smiled a small, smug grin, “There’s a bunch of kids over at the Garden Grove apartments that got measles and are out of school. So I went and asked their moms if I could bring their scrap to the show, and if I meet Captain America I’ll tell him that all those kids helped me.

“That’s very clever, Leon. Good for you.” Mr. Solo helped his son to his feet, then looked the boy up and down. At fourteen, Napoleon was gangly and thin, though it looked like he’d soon be taller than his father. “How about we see how that old blue suit of mine fits you? You should dress like a winner if you’re going to be in the newspaper.”

That was how Napoleon Solo met won the contest while wearing a borrowed suit. The boy fiddled with the hems of the sleeves that fell to the middle of his palm, and tried to stand tall enough to fake having broad shoulders like his father. He stood backstage at the local theater and tried to look like he belonged there, as USO dancers walked by without glancing at him.

Suddenly, he felt ashamed, in his too-big suit and too-small shoes. He considered bolting, leaving the scrap behind and maybe telling someone he had a stomachache.

“You okay, kid?” A voice asked him, and Napoleon looked up.

“Yeah, I’m...” His eyes grew wide, “Captain America!”

“What do you know? I am too. Steve Rogers,” Captain America held out one of his huge hands for Napoleon to shake, and gave him a kind smile. “You’re the kid who collected the most scrap metal, right?”

Napoleon shook his hand. “Yeah. I mean, yes, sir, I am. I’m Napoleon Solo.”

“You did good work. You should be proud.”

“I’d rather be over there, fighting!” The boy replied, shaking his head. “This is nothing. It’s kid stuff.”

Captain America shrugged and put on his helmet. “That’s why I signed up in the first place. You look like you’re going to be filling out that suit soon. When you’re old enough, we need young men like you.”

Then Captain America strode out on stage, waving to the crowd.

Two years later, at sixteen, Napoleon decided he was old enough.


End file.
